Humble Beginnings.
Diablo CrossFit’s first location: The Shed. Picture date: May 26, 2008.
We didn’t CrossFit to compete. We did CrossFit to be more fit for life.
A QUICK LOOK:
- More is not better
- Dr. Hinderman with awesome shoulder & mobility advice
- New Dates & Info on Community Cup
- Heralds Hot List
MORE MAY NOT BE BETTER – As we head into the fitness “competition season” many CrossFitters are eager to improve their fitness in order to improve their results in competitions including local CrossFit comps, Hyrox events, or sanctioned CrossFit events like the NorCal Classic. Some members just want to be better overall at CrossFit, including endurance, gymnastics or strength. Most often, CrossFitters simply assume that to be more fit, or better at CrossFit, they simply need to do more CrossFit.
However, more CrossFit does not equate to better CrossFit because the body requires balance to achieve optimal fitness and performance. Training 3-4 times per week with high-intensity, varied workouts provides sufficient stimulus to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness for most individuals. This frequency allows for progressive overload while giving the body adequate time to recover, which is critical for muscle repair, injury prevention, and long-term progress. Pushing beyond this by adding more days or increasing volume often leads to diminishing returns, as overtraining can elevate cortisol levels, disrupt hormonal balance, and increase the risk of burnout or injury. For the average person, this level of training is more than enough to prepare for the physical demands of daily life, from lifting groceries to playing with kids, without requiring excessive sessions that could compromise health.
Instead of piling on more workouts, prioritizing nutrition, sleep, and stress management yields far greater benefits. Quality nutrition fuels performance and recovery, providing the nutrients needed to repair muscles and replenish energy stores. Sleep is equally vital, as it supports hormonal regulation, muscle growth, and mental clarity—key components for sustaining fitness gains. Managing stress and incorporating active recovery, like mobility work or light movement, further enhances the body’s ability to adapt to CrossFit’s demands. By focusing on these foundational elements, individuals can maximize the effectiveness of their 3-4 weekly sessions, achieving better results without the risks associated with overtraining.
Hit your class workouts hard. Take your lifting days serious and be intense. If you want to add strength – try Strong class once or twice a week. If you want to improve your gymnastic skills, practice for 15-30m after class. If you want to improve endurance, try a F!T workout once a week and don’t skip Thursday CrossFit sessions. And get your sleep, improve your nutrition, work on mobility and reduce your stress.
#itsup2us
MAY / JUNE EVENTS
- ‘Murph – Memorial Day – May 26th. HEATS START AT 6AM! Sign up now! We’ll have a pancake breakfast after to celebrate.
- NorCal Classic – June 6-8 – Discovery Park Sacramento. About 20 Diablo athletes will be competing at the NorCal Classic CrossFit competition in various divisions: team, novice, age-group and elite (Coach Jackson). The top 2 athletes in the Elite Division will qualify for a trip to the CrossFit Games! Come hang out with your Diablo fam and cheer them on in this weekend competition.
- CrossFit Community Cup – June 9-14 – Diablo CrossFit – The Community Cup is the next step of competition for the CrossFit community that completed the Open. If you finished the Open, you now have a “ranking”. CrossFit will release the workouts to the public on Friday, May 30th!! All workouts must be completed by Sunday the 15th of June. The workouts will be adjusted for each ranking level so that you’ll be competing against your peers worldwide!
PRSALLDAY PODCAST This Week – Tuesday: Diablo’s Community Cup Plans! Jamie and I wlll talk Community Cup at Diablo. We’ve go some inside knowledge on the workout plans and scaling.
Last Week: Dr. Mike Hinderman – owner of Mt. Diablo Sport & Spine and Diablo member talked about shoulder pain, recovery and management. This was a fun and very informative session. Available now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CUP
The CrossFit Games Community Cup is the next level of competition after the Open for the global CrossFit Community. It includes 3 workouts designed to test fitness across all skill levels. We will all be doing the same workout – scaled for our performance ranking from the Open. Thus, each of us will be competing against other CrossFitters in our same performance category: Pro, Advanced, Intermediate, Novice or Rookie.
Check out the above chart to see where you will be competing! Be sure to visit the CrossFit Games app or website and login to see your Open Ranking. Match your ranking (by age group) to the chart above. All of the workouts will be scaled to your Community Cup Level.
Important dates: NEW!! – The CC workouts will be released on Friday, May 30th. The CC begins June 9th and ends on the 15th. Diablo will be programming the workouts as CLASS WORKOUTS! So, no matter what, you’ll be doing the Community Cup. Register now!
The Programming Week Ahead:
May Focus: Deadlift. Secondary: Barbell Oly Lifts. Skill: Ring & Bar MUp
- Mon: ‘Murph.
- Tue: 1200/1500m Row, 50 Sit ups, Rest 3m, 900/1km Row, 30 Situps, 2m Rest, 400/500m Row, 20 Situps
- Wed: 6RFT – 15/20c Air Bike, 9 Medball Cleans, 6 Wall Walks
- Thu: 3x3x3 – 3rnds, 3m, 3 Stations: Row, Bike, Ski
- Fri: 5x3m Amraps – Buy in: 1m Plank, then Amrap 20 KB, 12 Burp Box Jump Overs
- Sat: Amrap 8m – 10 Burpees, 8 Pull Ups, 7/10c Bike, then rest 1m and 5RFT 10/15c Bike, 7 T2B
- Sun: Pistols. Metcon: CFG Open 11.3 – Amrap 5m: Squat Clean & Jerks #110/165
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HERALD’S HOTLIST: Coach Herald (@heraldh) leads a much more entertaining life than I do AND he posts about it online. Lately he’s has some amazing recommendations so I’m gonna repost a few of his latest. Check these out:
- Movie: Mission Impossible Final Reckoning – “You NEED to watch that movie. If you’ve seen the other 7, this will be the vest one of the series.” (can’t wait!!)
- Restaurant: Cuban Cuisine Lita Restaurant – Catch the vibes, not the flights. @litawalnutcreek is prolly one of the sexiest restaurants in Walnut Creek. Notable: Empanadas (comes in 3s), Ceviche Flight, Shrimp Curry Pasta, Upside Down Pineapple Cake
- Restaurant: New School Chinese Buffet – Fusion Buffet. Let’s run it back to 2003 when Chinese Buffets ruled the food space! Glad to see @fusionbuffetconcord open up in Sun Valley Mall, it really does feel like the good ol’ days here. Prices:
Lunch- $20.99, Dinner- $29.99, Sat/Sun- $29.99 All day. - BBQ!! – Dad’s BBQ Walnut Creek – Was craving something meaty and tender and decided to visit @dbbqng in Walnut Creek. Really enjoyed it, they’re a new business so didn’t have to wait long for my food and portions were plenty.
Follow @heraldh for ALL the best Bay Area food & entertainment ideas.
Craig
